


Cardinal and Chickenhawk

by bluetoast



Series: Birds of a Feather [29]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-27
Updated: 2014-04-27
Packaged: 2018-01-21 00:22:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1531133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluetoast/pseuds/bluetoast
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Before Sam left for Stanford, he and Adam went out for lunch. Being almost ten, Adam wasn't expecting to be much more than a junk food gorge. Sam, however, had something important to tell him. Something he never in his wildest dreams would have expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cardinal and Chickenhawk

The table in the diner is covered in a veritable feast of junk food. Two orders of onion rings, a triple order of bacon cheese fries, two double hamburgers, an order of fried pickles – the diner's specialty – and two milkshakes, one chocolate, one butterscotch. Adam Winchester's not used to seeing this much unhealthy food at once – he's nearly ten and while he sometimes feels like he could eat the entire contents of the fridge in one sitting, foods like this aren't a staple in the Winchester household. 

He slices his burger in half, making it easier to manage, watching as his older brother breaks open an onion ring and swirls part of it in a mixture of mustard and ketchup. “Sam, I'll be okay with you in California – we've been over this since you got that acceptance letter to Stanford.”

His brother smiles absently and eats his onion ring, then takes a swig of milkshake before speaking again. “Adam, I've got something to tell you.”

“What?” Just from the tone, Adam knows it's serious. He contemplates setting his burger down, worrying his bottom lip. “Is someone sick?”

“No...” A touch of relief graces his older brother's face and Adam relaxes a little. 

“Then what is it?” He takes a quick bite of burger, judging from Sam's body language, this has to be something he can't imagine.

“We have another brother.” Sam says it in his matter-of-fact way, the way he had to have inherited from his biological mother, because their dad couldn't give an answer that direct if he tried.

“What?” He's glad it's his burger and not his glass he was holding, because the sandwich falls to his plate, his expression has to be stunned.

“We have an older brother. Dean.” Sam takes another sip of milkshake before folding his arms to rest them on the table. “Don't tell Dad I told you this, okay?”

He nods in reply. “I won't. Where is Dean? What happened to him?”

“I don't know. I was only five when...” Sam takes a deep breath. “Dad told me he was sick and that he couldn't take care of him, so he was left in a hospital.”

“ _Dad_ left him somewhere?” Adam can't believe this. Not his dad. Not John Winchester. That man cared about him and Sam so much, and kept tabs on them so well, it was a miracle Sam was getting to go to California in the first place.

“Yeah.” Sam shifts in his chair, his expression growing nervous. “I... Dean's deaf.” 

“So?” Adam can't see how a little thing like being deaf matters. 

“Dad... I don't know why Dad left him. He never told me.” Sam turned his attention back to his onion rings. “I just remember waking up one morning and Dean was gone.” 

“Dean didn't... he's not... _dead_ is he?” Adam takes a drink from his own glass, watching Sam's shoulders hunch, like the thought hadn't occurred to him.

“He's not dead.” Sam shakes his head. “When I was ten, Dad tried to go find him. The CPS people told him that Dean had been adopted by some family, but wouldn't say who.”

“That's good, right? I mean, that Dean has a home?” He picked up one of the fried pickles, not certain of what to make of all this. He had another older brother? Dad had left him? 

“I guess.” Sam's shoulder's fell. “I want to find him, Adam. I – I know it sounds crazy, but...”

“I don't think it's crazy.” Adam poked at the container of fries. “I think I'd like to meet him.” 

“He's eleven years older than you.” Sam finally laughs, and some of the tension vanishes. “I'm going to find him someday. I just – you know me...”

“Mom says you're always looking for a crusade.” He pulls a chunk of fries from the basket and dumps them on his plate. “I think I know what you mean – you just want to make sure he's okay.”

“Yeah.” Sam picks up his milkshake, his hazel eyes growing distant. Adam's seen his brother make that face plenty of times before – and wonders if his biological mother made that face too. 

The idea of another older brother – that's sort of hard to fathom. The idea of sharing Sam – that's something he's not too fond of. Sam's _his_ brother, _his_ best friend, he's someone that he's never had to share and Adam's not to sure he wants too.

It's a few weeks later when Sam calls and tells Adam the most impossible thing – Dean showed up at Stanford – touring the place for _med_ school. Not being able to tell their Dad about Dean is hard. Especially when Adam starts trolling around the Internet and discovers his biggest brother's achievements. But deep down, he knows better than to let it get to him. Dean's not a Winchester anymore.

Sam is _his_ brother. 

He is _Sam's_ brother.

They are a duo who do not need to become a trio.

But he's still not telling Dad about Dean.

Dad wouldn't have left Dean behind without a very good reason.

He's only seen one photograph of Sam and Dean together – and wonders how Sam couldn't see what he did. Where Sam is chubby cheeked and grinning from ear to ear, Dean was gaunt, the smile forced – and in his eyes, Adam could see fear.


End file.
